Clarity Diamond sits at the cutting edge of the lab-grown diamond industry. Grown in America in a broad array of shapes and sizes, Clarity is strategically focused on the needs of discerning retailers. Founder Bob Basnett sits down with Rebecca Butler to detail how the company has quickly become a go-to supplier for consumers on a global scale.
For those who are new to the business, can you provide a brief overview of the products and services that Clarity Diamond offers?
Clarity Diamond produces superior lab-grown diamonds and jewellery, with a focus on providing retailers with a distinct product that stands above other offerings. Our diamonds and jewellery are created with a ‘quality first’ methodology and delivered with consistency. This allows retailers to service their customers with a product they can be proud to showcase and support. The diamonds are regularly described to us by our retailers as the ‘best of the best’ in all aspects.
We have a full product offering of loose diamonds and a full line of 18k gold diamond jewellery. Our position on quality extends into the cutting of our lab-grown diamonds. All round diamonds have hearts and arrows, are triple excellent, GIA certified, and include an AGS Ideal Report; and all of our fancies are premium makes with a full GIA certificate. Our product is also offered through Dialog, a diamond inventory subscription service that provides a host of additional benefits to our retail partners.
While still a relatively new product on the international jewellery market, lab-grown diamonds have quickly become a go-to for a large proportion of consumers. Why do you think this is?
While there are a number of factors that have influenced the increase in the popularity of lab-grown diamonds, we believe one major factor is accessibility. Diamonds, whether natural or lab-grown, are certainly still a luxury, but lab-grown has allowed for a more attainable entry point for consumers.
When it comes to lab-grown diamonds, we can see that there is an increased interest from self-purchasers looking for fashion styles — and more jewellery brands are certainly wanting to cater to this interest. Additionally, non-bridal jewellery is where brands and companies see repeat purchasers, so it makes sense that there is a desire and need to offer these styles with lab-grown diamonds.
How is Clarity Diamond catering to this demand in 2024?
Since starting Clarity Diamond, we’ve added more capacity to support demand and are keen to see how the data evolves over time. We keep a close eye on consumer demand through the monitoring of sell-through across our retail partners. We can then adjust our growth based on the inventory demand by carat weight. The rough diamond planning stage offers us the opportunity to react to trends and supply the exact shapes that our customers want in their case lines. We have the ability to pivot very quickly since we have full control of the growth, polishing and cutting, and distribution to our retailers.
There are a host of suppliers for retailers and buyers to choose from in the lab-grown diamond sector, how does Clarity’s offering differ from competitors?
Our lab-grown diamonds offer the best in all areas — cutting, polishing, colour, clarity, and GIA certification. The initial reaction from retailers when they see the product has been overwhelming. They tell us it is unlike any lab-grown product they have ever seen.
Clarity diamonds are grown via the Chemical Vapour Disposition (CVD) process and are categorized as ‘untreated single growth’. Traditionally, CVD diamonds are grown using a start-stop method. This can cause growth lines to become visible in a diamond and this will then impact a diamond’s ability to reflect light. We have developed a patented process that allows for uninterrupted growth from start to finish. We are focused on diamond growth that is F+ in colour and VS2+ in clarity, with triple excellent quality on rounds and VG+ on fancies. Because our diamonds don’t have the typical markers of CVD growth, there is no need for post growth High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) treatment.
Each Clarity diamond is precision cut in our state-of-the-art facility by our manufacturing partner, HRA Group. The lack of obstructions within the rough combined with superior cutting give our diamonds a level of brilliance that really hasn’t been seen before in lab-grown product. It truly is a difference that can be seen with the naked eye.
All Clarity Diamond stones are ‘American-grown’, in what ways does this benefit both your business and your trade partners on a global scale?
We’ve seen the power that the mine-to-market story has for natural diamonds, so our lab-grown diamonds being American-grown, is our way of communicating their origin story. Knowing where and how a diamond was grown truly allows for complete transparency and confidence. This is something that both our retail partners and a typical customer are interested in knowing, and we also know that this kind of information can influence the purchase of a diamond. Being able to say that our lab-grown diamonds are American-grown is extremely powerful and we are so proud to offer diamonds that embody the spirit and quality of American craftsmanship.
What does innovation mean to the business and how does this drive strategy at Clarity Diamond?
One of our goals has always been to be able to deliver a higher standard of lab-grown diamond, from production practices to customer service. Our entire brand was built on being able to innovate and it’s the reason why we are here today. Non-stop research and development are key factors that allow us to create the best possible diamonds we can deliver. We never stop at ‘good’. Our team wholly believes in continuous improvement and growth, and this is truly our biggest driving force.
How do you support your trade partners in communicating the qualities of Clarity’s lab-grown diamonds to consumers?
Whether it’s in-depth training on the brand, marketing support across print and digital, or event support — our team is here for our retailers’ various needs. We offer a comprehensive approach to supporting our partners’ needs based on their market. From writing radio scripts, brand landing pages, or in-store duratrans, we have supplied all different mediums to our partners, with a message that resonates with their clients.
To learn more, visit the Clarity Diamond website.
